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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. tube — a container
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. present — a gift
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bear — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tube — the underground
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. present — the time now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. present — there
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com